Frequency of Apology
by WeekendScribe
Summary: Ryu Soma has always hated the alien entity Frank. For what happened with him, but mostly for what happened to Maki Agata. But while Ryu watches over the alien, Frank offers Ryu something that will shake everything he ever thought of the strange creature.


**Author's Note:** I've wanted to write a Fanfiction for Argento Soma for quite while, and it didn't come out exactly as I wanted it too, so here it is and I hope you enjoy it!

**Disclaimer: **I do **not** own anything. All rights to Argento Soma are copyrighted by Sunrise Studio and TV Tokyo, along with if and any affiliates or subsidiary companies.__

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_Her smile… Maki…_

_Fake?_

_Real?_

_Had it simply all been in his imagination?_

Thoughts as such as these had always plagued Ryu Soma, twisting and slithering their way up from the depths of his mind and twining through the thin synapses of his brain until the constant pounding against his temples of the repeated statements, statements that he had no control over, not as if he had ever even had control, over his thoughts, or himself, ignited a fire inside of him and he would lose himself until it was spent. Satiated to the point it drove his very soul into insanity.

Ryu Soma, formerly Takuto Kaneshiro stood at the railed overhang deep within the bowels of the FUNERAL organization. This had often been his 'post' since he had joined the organization. Ever since the alien entity known as Frank had been moved to this current location for 'safety' measures, which was nothing, save a ploy to try and control him to a higher degree. Great walls of titanium surrounded the room, the roof collapsible in states of emergency, alien attacks, to be precise, allowing Frank access to the outside world, an impromptu savior for human kind, along with the gated rail in question where Ryu was leaning, overlooking the entire enclosure.

_How ironic…_ Thought Ryu, a thought that had always brought a scorned smile to his lips when it passed before his eyes. _Fighting aliens with other aliens..._

His hardened eyes, one hue brown, and the other blue, gazed down in malice at the alien whom had been christened Frank by the very doctor that had brought him to life, in his laboratory on the day that Takuto Kaneshiro would cease to exist, and Ryu Soma would emerge from the blown ashes of his scorched soul, because of his loss, far even greater than the explosion of MORGUE, Doctor Noguchi's lab, and the ravaging of his being, physically and emotionally.

The loss of his only love, the one person whom he had thought was the center of his very universe, a person whom he had always tried to make happy, smile… Maki Agata. _His_ Maki.

_It's your entire fault…_ Ryu thought hatefully, hoping against hope that his thoughts would somehow telepathically reach the alien, who had yet even to move, for all the intentions of an observant individual Frank could have been a carved statue grotesque and foreign. A single red 'eye' on the center of his shapeless head, mirroring the eye engraved on the right side of his chest, his core, the center of his power and Takuto's destruction.

He had seen that very 'eye' glow with abnormal power when Frank engaged in combat with other aliens, the invaders of Earth, and destroyers of humankind. Delivering a single devastating blow with a car sized fist.

"It's all your fault!" Ryu found himself screaming. "You took her away! My Maki! You killed her! I hate you!" Ryu's grip on the rail before him caused his knuckles to turn white with a sheen of sweat and rage. His eyes swam with hot tears; he must have shed millions of them, yet they were never enough, never enough for his Maki. _He_ was, and never could have been, enough.

Ryu took a shaky breath and released the rail, turning away from Frank as he regained his composur and started to walk away, when a sudden static interference in the air caused him to stop and turn back.

Ryu pinpointed the sound's emergence from the small wave radio Hattie had set up, connected to Frank in hopes of communicating with him.

Hattie, the little girl with nothing save a dog, whom the organization had 'adopted' after finding her sheltered with Frank, after her only family had been murdered.

She seemed to be the only one whom understood Frank, she would often talk with him, and draw him in her little notebook, coloring his great visage with bright colors as she hummed to herself. A girl whom Ryu could hardly even look at, for her resemblance to Maki drove pangs through his body.

The static slowly regressed as words took shape, shattering the very air around Ryu as the broken statements drilled into his brain through his ears.

"Maki… Tak-.." The words were garbled and made little sense.

"Maki… Takuto…"

Ryu strained his ears, as well as every fiber of his body in hopes of catching the phrase reverberating from the speakers of the old radio.

"Takut-. Ryu-… Sa-…d…"

"What did you just say?" Ryu turned completely and took a step back toward the railing, toward the alien, coming up short as his body flinched as a new voice rose behind him, and the quick pattering of small feet, with a slight scuffling sound.

"Frank! Hi, Frank!"

It was Hattie, running down the hall, one hand holding onto her hat adorning her head, notebook held tightly to her chest with her other, as her dog padded alongside her, barking.

She ran past Ryu, oblivious of his presence.

"Mr. Elf! How are you today?" Hattie asked excitedly, leaning over the railing, her hand outstretched as if to touch Frank.

"Are you doing okay today, Mr. Elf?" Hattie asked again, brightly.

The static of the speakers cracked.

"Flo-…w-…ers… Pretty…"

Hattie laughed and nodded.

"Yes, Mr. Elf! And I'll make you another one as soon as I can!" Hattie proclaimed, dropping from the railing back onto the floor as she opened her notebook and withdrew a packet of crayons from a pocket of her clothes.

Ryu stood, still rooted to the spot as he watched the small actions between Hattie and Frank, his eyes glittering.

A small intercom link on his wrist glowed as a voice rang out from it.

"Hey Ryu, you're being summoned for briefing, report to commander Ines." It was Dan Simmons. Ryu's lip curled in disdain at the sound of his voice. He touched a finger to a small black button on his wrist communicator.

"I'm on my way…" Ryu replied.

Hattie jolted up from her coloring as if she had just realized Ryu there.

"Hi, Ryu, are you leaving already?" Hattie asked happily, a red crayon poised in her hand.

Ryu stood in silence.

"That's okay." Hattie replied, ignoring his lack of remark.

"I'll keep Mr. Elf company!" She murmured happily, resuming her drawing.

Ryu dropped his arm and turned his back on both Frank and Hattie, marching down the corridor, for even Hattie would have noticed the slight trembling resonating through his entire body, from head to foot as he exited.


End file.
